Dog Poop Still a Problem on Trail, Resident Says

Although he spent hours cleaning it up before the holidays, large mounds of dog poop have reappeared along a section of the Saucon Rail Trail near West Walnut Street in Hellertown, resident and avid trail-user Lee Weidner told Borough Council Jan. 7.

Weidner, who submitted a letter to the editor detailing the problem last month, called the canine feces "the worst kind of litter" and said he believes they're being deposited by a single animal.

"It is a large dog, because of the remnants," he said. "In this particular case, size matters."

Before Christmas, he estimated that he scooped about 40 pounds of "disgusting refuse" that were deposited over an area of about 800 square feet along the trail.

Weidner also commented that the piles of poop are most prevalent near two memorial rail trail benches that were paid for by private donors.

"The solution is to find out who’s walking his dog and not cleaning up," he said. "Hellertown Borough Council members need to investigate by doing some legwork."

With a custom-decorated metal scoop in hand, he added that council members should "talk to neighbors," since that section of the trail is adjacent to a densely populated area.

Council members then discussed the potential purchase of signs and/or dog waste bag dispensers and waste cans to be placed along the trail in the borough.

A motion made by councilwoman Gail Nolf to investigate the cost of those items was approved unanimously.